MarkeTECH Conference 2011
The 2011 MarkeTECH Conference is scheduled for March 31, 2011 in Norfolk, NE from 8am-5pm at the Northeast Community College Learning Center.
| Sign Up Now! | |
| Member | Non-Member |
| Pre-Conference (Members Only) | Sponsorship and Trade Show (Members and Non-Members) |
Download Agenda >>
8:00 am- 9:00 am - Registration (Northeast Community College Learning Center Atrium)
9:00 am -10:00 am - Welcome & Opening Remarks: Janell Anderson Ehrke, GROW CEO and GROW's eCommerce Site Upgrade by Jonathan Patton, JM Web Designs
Jonathan Patton knows the meaning of hard work and personal sacrifice; these qualities are imperative to starting a company and flourishing it over time. Since founding JM Web Designs in 1998 at the age of 14, Jonathan has lived his life above reproach with his ethics, relationships, and successes. He leads the team that will grow your business through an extensive list of vital online services that lay a solid foundation for your company and improve your bottom-line value. Recognized as a leader in the web industry, his inspiring story has been told at numerous corporate events. He is excited to bring experience, determination, and success to your company.10:00 am - 10:30 am - Break, Networking and Exhibits
10:30 am - 11:45 am - Working Sessions (choose from one)
- Web Site Track: eCommerce by Dennis Kahl of UNL Extension and Branding BootCamp by Dan Parsons of Parsons Marketing, PR & Designs
Dennis Kahl is a graduate of UNL and has been a vocational ag instructor and extension educator in Schuyler and Seward. His work has covered many issues from water quality to main street deterioration.
He has always enjoyed leadership, participating in NE LEAD, then starting a 6 county leadership group and now works with an extension leadership team called "LEADING LOCALLY". But his interest in technology has always been a part of him. In the past several years he has been involved in community development and entrepreneurship, helping small businesses understand the value of web presence with eBusiness workshops and the past couple of years has made presentations and many workshops on the use of Social Media in business direct marketing.
For more than two decades, Dan Parsons has been the ‘PR Man’ for some high-profile VIPs including a United States senator, governor and attorney general. Add to that list many business executives and other opinion leaders who shape issues affecting our state and nation. But his passion for PR goes beyond politics and Dan has used his many talents to help clients in a broad range of industries get noticed, from senior care and retail management to banking and construction. Before launching Parsons Marketing PR and Design in 2003, Dan was manager of public relations for Lovgren Marketing Group in Omaha, Neb. He also served as vice president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, directing all areas of communication for the state’s most respected business organization. As special assistant to the attorney general, his duties included press secretary, speech writer, policy advisor and legislative lobbyist. Dan was the founder and executive director of Family First, a faith-based public policy organization, and is a former member of the University of Nebraska Bioethics Committee.
- Social Media Track: Twitter Time Savers by Brent Pohlman of Midwest Laboratories
Brent Pohlman has been in the professional business world for over 20 years. Brent is a former high school business instructor and coach and he continues to teach part-time as an adjunct instructor for Nebraska Wesleyan and Concordia University. Brent has worked for companies such as Mutual of Omaha, Arthur Andersen and HDR. In his current role, Brent manages all marketing activity at Midwest Laboratories. Marketing activities include: email marketing, brochures, trade shows, coordinating sales calls, marketing new testing services. Brent really enjoys online marketing and in particular the social media side. You can always find Brent on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.
- Business Basics Track: Start Up Tools by David Simonsen of EVEDC of and Protecting Your Intellectual Property by Tyson Benson of Advent IP
David Simonsen is currently the executive director for the Elkhorn Valley Economic Development Council (EVEDC) in Norfolk, NE. Prior to being employed with EVEDC, David served as the executive director for the Wayne Area Economic Development Corporation and the Davis County (IA) Economic Development Corporation. He has over twelve years of economic development experience. Prior to starting his economic development career, he was a Grant Writing Specialist for Iowa Lakes Community College, in Estherville, IA. David and his wife Maggie have started five businesses, including two retail businesses, a property management business, and two consulting businesses both of which are still operating. David holds a Master Degree in Organizational Management with Economic Development and Entrepreneurial Development Emphasis and serves as a board member on both the Nebraska Economic Developers Association and the Mid American Economic Development Council. He is a member of the International Economic Development Council and Business Retention & Expansion International where he serves as a state delegate representing Nebraska.
Tyson Benson is a Patent Attorney with Advent IP, an intellectual property law firm specializing in the procurement and protection of Intellectual Property in Omaha, Nebraska. In his role, Tyson specializes in drafting and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications in the areas of integrated circuit technologies, software, hardware, e-commerce, telecommunications, medical devices, and the mechanical arts.
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Keynote Speaker: Joseph Knecht, Co‐Founder & Managing Director, Vipa Solutions
Originally a native of Long Island, New York, Joseph’s journey in Nebraska business has been one of excitement and growth. After graduating from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s degree in business, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he received his Master’s degree in business administration.
In 1999, through the University of Nebraska Entrepreneurial Studies program, he was selected to intern with i2rd, an upstart software and web services company founded by Dr. Don Nelson and Dr. Muhlin Chen. During his yearlong internship in the company’s sales and marketing division, he was instrumental in the growth and development of i2rd’s products and services, as well as marketing them internationally.
In 2005, with the planning and guidance of Knecht, i2rd launched Vipa Solutions, a technology services company that partners with advertising, marketing and PR agencies providing proven processes and web-based tools for agencies to manage their client’s web sites, event registration and online marketing services. The Vipa Solutions team specializes in aiding agencies in the shift from traditional media and static web sites to dynamic web services.
Vipa Solutions enables agencies to leverage and manage technology which is an aggressively changing industry. They provide a balance of creativity without sacrificing functionality along with decreasing project timelines. As partner and managing director of Vipa Solutions, Joseph is responsible for the oversight of a team that performs the day-to-day business operations of this aggressively growing company. He plays a key role in the development of new products and services and is responsible for identifying and maintaining industry relationships to help the company succeed.
Joseph will be giving a presentation titled "Your Web Site is a Tool ... Now How to Use It!"
A successful web site must have a strong mix of targeted content, product information and value adding services. As internet use increases business owners are more comfortable with growing their businesses online the need to understand strategies like dynamic content, eCommerce, blogs, and virtual customer interactions is a must.
Join him to learn strategies to how to take your web site to the next level in a way that engages customers and entices them to come back. It’s time for your web site to be profitable.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm - Working Sessions (choose from one)
- Web Site Track: Content Makes Marketing Go Around by Sally Cohen of eGrowth Marketing
Sally Cohen is a small ecommerce and business owner. She works daily with customers on how to marketing on the internet and in person. Ms Cohen has her BS in Business, Sales from UNO. Her career prior to owning businesses is as an outside, commercial sales professional.
- Social Media Track: Transforming Social Media to Professional Media—Building Your Personal Company and Brand by Jocelyn Joyce of LinkedIn
Jocelyn Joyce has served as an Enterprise Services Manager for Corporate Solutions at LinkedIn since August of 2008. As an Enterprise Services Manager Jocelyn works directly with Corporate Recruiters and Staffing Firms to help them leverage the LinkedIn network in their recruiting endeavors. Jocelyn grew up in a small town in central Nebraska. She moved to Omaha in 2001, and currently lives in Southwest Omaha. Outside of work, Jocelyn is actively involved in various professional groups in Omaha and served on the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Young Professional Council Board from 2005 through 2008.
- Business Basics Track: Developing a Reliable Sales System with Mathematics by Grant Stanley of Contemporary Analysis
Entrepreneurship is the only profession Grant Stanley has ever known. He has started a lawn care company, a landscaping company, an eBay company, a graphic design company and an analytical consulting company. He has also assisted other entrepreneurs in developing two lawn care companies, a real estate investment company, and a solar power company. Grant studied the economics of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In 2008, Grant was recognized with the Horizon Student Entrepreneur of the Year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the 2009 Baldwin Free Enterprise Lecturer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Mr. Stanley is currently the CEO of Contemporary Analysis Inc., and the Chairman of the Board of the World Energy Project. Contemporary Analysis provides analytical business systems that are used at Fortune 500, 1,000 and 5,000,000 companies. The World Energy Project provides reliable localized power to developing communities in Africa, Asia and South America.
2:30 pm - 2:45 pm - Break & Exhibits
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm - Networking Exercise with GROW Staff
- Web Site Track: Search Engine Optimization by Mark Hall of eSelling4u.com and Get Clicky and Analytics Tools by Brent Pohlman of Midwest Laboratories
Mark Hall is a small business owner implementing eCommerce web site techniques to market nationally and world-wide. Mark is a retired USAF Officer. He is also the General Manager, Customer Service, Marketing and Sales Director for Tru Mark, another company which Mark founded. He is active in community service activities.
Brent Pohlman has been in the professional business world for over 20 years. Brent is a former high school business instructor and coach and he continues to teach part-time as an adjunct instructor for Nebraska Wesleyan and Concordia University. Brent has worked for companies such as Mutual of Omaha, Arthur Andersen and HDR. In his current role, Brent manages all marketing activity at Midwest Laboratories. Marketing activities include: email marketing, brochures, trade shows, coordinating sales calls, marketing new testing services. Brent really enjoys online marketing and in particular the social media side. You can always find Brent on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.
- Social Media Track: Permission based Marketing: Integrating Facebook, Blogs and Auto Responders into your Client User Experience by Tim O'Neill of Discover with Tim
Tim O'Neill has owned various franchises and start-ups in several industries including the health and fitness, insurance, investment, securities, automotive, fine-art and photography areas. Current pursuits are building his online businesses and working with his commissioned portrait clients. A passion for time freedom has led to serial-entrepreneurship and an in depth pursuit of internet marketing. Tim is the founder and CEO of Tim O'Neill Studio and Prosperity Publishing Global, a company that specializes in producing educational materials for photographers and other visual artists.
Tim also founded Life By A Vision, an internet marketing company specializing in teaching and training fellow entrepreneurs abundance creation, personal development and business skills. Mamarazziguides.com is the most recent addition to the company. The new internet company is designed to educate and train work from home parents in the area of photography and art.
- Business Basics Track: Financing Options by Michael Foutch of SBA and Vickie Jones and Lisa Tedesco of NBDC
Michael Foutch came to the SBA after a 20-year career with the Navy as a public affairs specialist. He serves the agency and small businesses in Nebraska as a business development specialist, public information officer and veterans officer.
Lisa Tedesco has managed the SBIR/STTR Program for the state of Nebraska for the last 2 years. Prior to joining NBDC, she worked in corporate America for 10 years as the small business liaison officer for HDR, Inc.
Vicky Jones has worked as an Procurement Technical Assistance Counselor for the UNO Nebraska Business Development Center for two years. Prior to that she worked for the UNL Northeast Research and Extension Center for 20 years.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Closing Remarks and Trade Show Networking
